Chess (International) -- News

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Flagging, Incorrect Draw Claim, And Missed Chances As Robson Hits The Front

GM Ray Robson scored a crucial win over GM Alireza Firouzja in round six of the 2023 Saint Louis Rapid & Blitz on the white side of the King's Indian Defense: Makogonov Variation on Wednesday.

Robson entered the sole lead thanks to day-one leader GM Le Quang Liem's tumultuous day. The Vietnamese GM suffered a tragic loss at the hands of GM Fabiano Caruana and got caught up in more drama against GM Anish Giri when he incorrectly claimed a threefold repetition.

While rounds four and five produced 10 draws and no decisive games, the third round of the day had four winners: GMs Robson, Caruana, Giri, and Maxime-Vachier-Lagrave. For the Dutchman, the extra half-point came surprisingly when GM Sam Sevian flagged on the easier side of a drawn endgame.

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Serbia, Bulgaria Triumph; Carlsen Takes Gold On Board 1

Tenth-seed Serbia has won the 2023 European Team Chess Championship after finishing a single tiebreak point ahead of Germany, who took silver despite remaining unbeaten and winning their head-to-head clash. Team chess specialists Armenia took bronze, while GM Magnus Carlsen won the individual gold medal on Board 1. Bulgaria, who needed a wildcard to play, took gold in the Women's section, ahead of Azerbaijan (silver) and France (bronze).

The European Team Chess Championship in Budva, Montenegro is over. Let's take a look at seven conclusions:

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Hou Yifan Wins Second WSCC Title

GM Hou Yifan is the first player to win two WSCC titles. After defeating GM Harika Dronavalli in the Julius Baer Women's Speed Chess Championship 2023 Final 15-11, the Chinese grandmaster is a two-time champion.

"Ever since her first victory, she never relinquished the lead," said commentator GM Daniel Naroditsky after the match. Critical to her success was incisive precision when converting advantages as well as her resilience to save several lost positions

Hou 15-11 Harika | Final

• 5+1: Hou 5-3 Harika
• 3+1: Hou 5.5-3.5 Harika
• 1+1: Hou 4.5-4.5 Harika

Both times Hou won the WSCC, in 2021 and 2023, she faced Harika in the Final. Two years ago, she won her first title with a 15-13 score, and SmarterChess predicted another narrow match victory by just one point..

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Duda Withdraws With Health Issue, No Decisive Results In St. Louis

No decisive results were produced for the third round in a row at the 2023 Sinquefield Cup on a day that was headlined by the withdrawal of GM Jan-Krzysztof Duda and an intriguing duel between the imaginative GMs Richard Rapport and Alireza Firouzja.

With each player now only playing eight rounds after Duda's withdrawal, the standings are expected to open up sooner than expected with a $100,000 first prize on the line.

The Sinquefield Cup continues with round four on Friday, November 24, at 3:30 p.m. ET/20:30 CET/1 a.m. IST.

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CHESS INTERNATIONAL​

 

[MODMAN]

Nakamura Wins November Trifecta, Scores 74.5/79

GM Hikaru Nakamura scored 73 wins and conceded just three draws and three losses in one of his most dominant Bullet Brawl performances yet, finishing with a 42-point buffer over the second-placed GM Daniel Naroditsky to claim the $400 first prize.

Hyperbullet specialist GM Andrew Tang rounded out the podium with a score of 225, while IM Polina Shuvalova came in 12th, breaking the record for the highest finish by a female player in Bullet Brawl history.

The community event had 222 participants on Saturday, and the arena was won by Peru's Cesar Frank Talledo Lagos who notched 72 wins amid 13 losses.

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[MODMAN]

Aronian Defeats Firouzja After Near-Catastrophe At Time Control

GM Levon Aronian joined GM Wesley So in the lead at the 2023 Sinquefield Cup after dispatching GM Alireza Firouzja in a rook endgame on Saturday. The game very nearly came to an end early as Firouzja came within one second of being flagged but in the end, Aronian was forced to convert a tricky endgame.

As the other games were drawn in round five, the race for the final Candidates spot has just become even closer as So's rating is now one point higher than Firouzja's with just three games left to play.

The Sinquefield Cup continues with round six on Monday, November 27, at 2 p.m. ET/20:00 CET/00:30 a.m. IST. (Sunday is a rest day.)

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